There are many commonly known ways to mount a body panel to a vehicle. But, many of these commonly known ways have disadvantages in their design. For example, some body panel mounting systems have a large number of attachments points using only bolts or screws. This makes the removal/installation of the body panel a time consuming and labor intensive process. Also, it does not make it practical to frequently open or remove the body panel to access components behind the body panel. It is often desirable to have easy access to components located behind the body panel. Therefore, a need exists for a body panel mounting system that provides quick and easy removal/installation for access to components located behind a body panel.
Furthermore, many of the commonly known body panel mounting systems do not have a modular design that can be adapted to many different vehicles. For example, some mounting systems are only designed for a left-side body panel. Hence, such mounting systems can not be used to mount a right-side body panel, and different parts would need to be designed and manufactured to mount a right-side body panel. Also, some mounting systems are only designed for one particular size of body panel. Thus, there is a need for a body panel mounting system that can accommodate a variety of body panel shapes and sizes.
Many of the commonly known body panel mounting systems restrain the thermal expansion of the body panel under temperature variations, which can induce stress on the body panel. A vehicle often experiences a large range of temperatures throughout its life (e.g., different seasons, different geographical regions). Hence, there is a need for a body panel mounting system that allows for thermal expansion of the body panel.